Cinequest / Festival Internacional de Cine de Cartagena de Indias / Pan African Film Festival 2019 – I Am My Own Mother
An adopted woman on the cusp of childbirth reinserts herself back into the life of her biological mother.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Andrew Zox
Watch I Am My Own Mother here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I'm interested in the idea of family as a construction. There is the family we are born into, and the family we make. Somehow at some point, we choose to create our own version, our own mashup, and to reconcile the past, or not. The permutations are endless if we have freedom.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
The film is a cathartic experience. It touches on just how difficult it is to find intimacy. In the end, we must be our own mothers and fathers and learn to take care of ourselves. There is strength and calm in knowing that.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I think the instinct to seek out the birth mother defies all reason. It encapsulates an urge so essentially and deeply human—to know our source spring, our origin.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
I tend to think in more abstract images and piece the film together moment to moment—all the intangible feelings. Initially, I conceived of filming the short so that the audience would never see the adoptee until the end of the film—as she learns about her past she is 'revealed.'
It was a fine starting place for conceiving scenes, but eventually, I gave in to a more traditional filmmaking style, albeit slow cinema. I didn't want to alienate the audience from our protagonist. In fact, I wanted to lean in closer, to be more intimate with her.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Richmond Review / Sunset Beacon:
I Am My Own Mother was filmed in four days in Alameda and Pescadero and has a very deliberate style, tone and pace. No eruptions, no melodrama, just naturalistic human behavior, absent of Hollywood clichés.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I've seen my film screen from Cannes, France to Cartagena, Colombia to Montreal, Canada, to Los Angeles, California. I've noticed that inside the silent moments of the film, the unspoken thoughts of the characters seem to speak across all cultures.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I'd love to find a distributor/sales agent/platform to stream I Am My Own Mother. It's been almost one year since its premiere at Cannes as an official selection, so the timing would be perfect.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Distributors, sales agents and streaming platforms.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
Closure is important to pursue, even if it doesn't bring the desired resolution. Learning to accept that, to move forward, to nurture oneself, and to find nourishment from within is a practiced skill. I think this film speaks to that issue and more—solace in loss.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Can you risk being more intimate? More vulnerable?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
A feature film about an immigrant family’s first year in the U.S., depicting their process of assimilation against the backdrop of the changing seasons.
Interview: March 2019
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
I Am My Own Mother
An adopted woman on the cusp of childbirth reinserts herself back into the life of her biological mother.
Length: 23:30
Director: Andrew Zox
Producer: Andrew Zox, Kimberly Parker
Writer: Andrew Zox
About the writer, director and producer:
ANDREW ZOX's short film work has premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, Festival Internacional de Cine de Cartagena de Indias - FICCI, and The United Nations. His installation plays My Way Little Girl debuted at The Kennedy Center and won the Experimental Pick of the Washington, DC Fringe Festival. Zox is a former company member with the Helen Hayes winning troupe Synetic Theater. He earned his MFA from San Francisco State University School of Cinema.
Key cast: Dionne Audain (Esther), Baadja-Lyne (Anne), Délé Ogundiran (Dawn), Conphidance (Kent), Celai West (Nina)
Looking for: distributors, sales agents
Website: andrewzox.com
Other: IMDb